


While the Earth Sinks into its Grave

by Kazzy



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: AU, Female Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-25
Updated: 2014-02-25
Packaged: 2018-01-13 17:50:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1235575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kazzy/pseuds/Kazzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Because if you’re… if <i>we’re</i> right about this then he needs to be stopped. You’re the only person I can trust with this.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	While the Earth Sinks into its Grave

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ilovekcassidy.tumblr.com and smoakandlance.tumblr.com
> 
> I own nothing (this is just how I want it to go). The title is from 'Cello Song' by Nick Drake.
> 
>  
> 
> **Trigger Warning: depression**

-x-x-x-  


Felicity waits until Oliver’s in a meeting that she isn’t needed for, grabs her purse and slides out from behind her desk. Trying to be as casual as possible she checks both her phone and the flash drive are tucked safely in an inside pocket and tries to quell the butterflies twisting in her stomach at what she’s about to do. She nods at Dig and tells him she has an errand to run and she should be back at her desk before Oliver returns, glad that her voice is even and she can meet his eyes – she’s a better liar now than she was a year ago, much better.

When he asks if she’d like help she attempts a smile and shakes her head and tells him she’s just going to the post office to mail a gift to a friend which is late. She bites her tongue against a long ramble about the time she forgot her grandmother’s birthday and hopes Dig doesn’t ask why she isn’t just getting a courier to pick it up from the office. She wants Dig to know about this less than even Oliver, he’s made his feelings clear and she understands where he’s coming from… but… 

He’s wrong. 

Felicity finds it hard to believe that both of them are wrong but she’s learned to trust herself about what she knows and what she can find out. There are no secrets on the internet. You can hide for a little while but then there are too many open endings, too many obvious holes, too many locks and seals and encryptions. She hasn’t found much, but what she has found suggests that there is more to find and maybe darker secrets and deeper shadows than anyone can know.

She makes it to her car without anyone calling her out or magically discovering where she’s headed and what she’s doing. She sits behind the wheel of her car and takes several deep breathes. She wonders why she’s so scared. It’s not like she’s doing anything illegal and anyway she does illegal things every day of the week and into the small hours of the morning. Sometimes she nearly falls asleep at her desk because she spent most of the night doing illegal things – if they ever catch Oliver, felicity knows that she’ll probably find herself in a prison cell for the rest of her life. And it’s not like she’s in any real danger here (well, probably not) because no one knows what she’s doing. Which admittedly doesn’t bode well for her when they do, inevitably, find out what she’s doing. Especially Dig or Oliver.

This is so going to blow up in her face.

At every intersection she checks the GPS tracker in her phone and bites down on her desire to drive back to the office. But she needs to do this, if only to assuage her conscience. Felicity might be living on the wrong side of the law but she still likes to believe she has an attachment to the right side of morality. She pays her taxes, brushes her teeth and votes left after all. Also she has a hand in putting violent criminals out of action.

Felicity pulls up at a small coffee shop in a mostly unfamiliar part of the city and reflects that if Oliver knew she had a tracker on Laurel’s phone he’s be annoyed. Very, very annoyed. Probably scary Arrow annoyed - which is why she will not be telling Oliver about the tracker. Unless it’s an emergency. Which is what the tracker is for: emergencies. Which this is not.

Or maybe not. If Laurel is actually right about Sebastian Blood then the situation is probably one that will go pear shaped very quickly and make Felicity glad she’s done the research in advance. On the other hand if Laurel’s wrong then well… angry Oliver and disappointed Dig (when they find out what Felicity’s done).

Laurel is sitting at a table in the window of the coffee shop, drinking what Felicity assumes to be, well, coffee. Her back is ramrod straight and she’s looking to the left and down, apparently the sidewalk contains some of the answers she’s searching for. Felicity’s too far away to discern her expression but there’s absolutely nothing good about Laurel’s posture and that more than anything is what gives her the courage to get out her car and cross the road. After all, if Laurel – humiliated to the point where Felicity’s not sure that if it were her she’d even be able to get out of bed – can move around in public then she can risk upsetting people she cares about.

The coffee shop is mostly deserted which is possibly why Laurel chose it but one of the other tables is throwing smirks in her direction – reminiscent of the ones thrown Felicity’s way at Queen Consolidated. Laurel doesn’t seem to notice, playing with her rings, eyes still fixed on the pavement outside.

“Hi.” Felicity sinks into the chair opposite Laurel who starts in surprise. 

She’s pale and her eyes have dark shadows under them. Felicity’s used to the vision of Laurel that is magazine perfect but the woman in front of her is clearly unwell. Her hair flows in smooth waves, her make-up flawless and her clothes spotless if casual, but there are fine cracks around her mouth and eyes, her expression is wan and warn down.

“Felicity. What are you doing here?” As greetings go, it’s not exactly enthusiastic or welcoming but it’s still a long way from the last time they crossed paths. Laurel’s words that night in Verdant still sting a little even as she knows they were never about her, only about Laurel’s own hurts.

“You should take a look at this.” As technology goes a memory stick is not the best way to pass on what she’s found but it will be untraceable. “It’s everything I could find about Sebastian Blood.”

Laurel bites her lip and shakes her head, dropping her gaze. “I was wrong about him.”

Felicity draws in a deep breath and expels it slowly. “I don’t think you were.” Laurel has yet to take the memory stick so Felicity places it on the table in front of her fingertips. “I did some digging and I didn’t find much but what I did find didn’t add up.”

A couple of drawn out seconds pass but Laurel eventually nods and folds her hands over the memory stick pulling it towards herself. “Why would you do that?”

“Because if you’re… if _we’re_ right about this then he needs to be stopped. You’re the only person I can trust with this.” No one else, not a single other person in the city will be believe her. But Laurel was the only one who saw through Sebastian Blood’s façade, the only one not caught up in his thrall. “Take a look. I’m going to keep digging, see if I can unearth something more. If you think of anything let me know.”

For the first time, Laurel looks up to meet Felicity eyes. “Thank you.” The words are soft but not forced, her tone even.

Felicity’s not entirely sure what she’s being thanked for – the information or the support – but she nods anyway. “You’re welcome.” After a moment of heavy silence she slides out from behind the table and reminds herself that she’s doing the right thing.

-x-x-x-

Twenty minutes later she’s sitting at her desk outside Oliver’s office, quickly minimising a window as he walks in and smiling at him. He’s distracted and Dig’s at lunch so there’s no one to notice just how nervous she’s feeling. 

Nervous but resolute.

-x-x-x-


End file.
